The team consists of Wellness Manager Heather Weir, Senior Care Officer Suzanne Gribbon, Care Officers Charlene Forsyth, Louise Mitchell, and Gillian Davidson.
Day in day out, HRM Homecare delivers high quality social care so individuals can live independently in their own homes.
Not only that, but its care workers also provide a vital link between the people they care for and their families, friends and the community where they live.
A key cornerstone of this success is provided by a department that HRM Homecare Managing Director Lynn Laughland has pioneered herself.
Over a decade ago, Lynn created a Wellness Team, which today consists of Wellness Manager Heather Weir, Senior Care Officer Suzanne Gibbon, and Care Officers Charlene Forsyth, Louise Mitchell, and Gillian Davidson.
The Wellness Team is the beating heart of HRM Homecare, working independently from the rest of the business to help deepen the bond of trust not just with those HRM cares for, but also with their families.
They achieve this by making sure all HRM Homecare’s Support Workers and Service Users alike have the resources and procedures in place that they require.
That means focusing full-time on delivering outcome focused care planning, risk assessments, checks, service reviews, evaluation of the service that HRM Homecare provides, and spot checks to make sure those being cared for have their needs properly met.
But it’s also much more than that The Wellness Team itself is a perfect example of how people can grow professionally within the care sector to become highly skilled, highly professional individuals.
Heather Weir says: “HRM Homecare has led the way with its Wellness Team. The team is entirely focused on person-centred care, making sure everything is tailored towards care supports that entirely meets the needs of the individual.
“Lynn saw the need for a quality team who could coordinate the care planning. She is an innovator, it’s almost like she has a crystal ball, she implements new initiatives quickly that can be transformational.
“Not only that, she is also a tremendous manager of people. She quickly realises an individual’s potential and drives them forward so they fulfil their potential. She can see into the future and what the perfect role is for them.”
For Heather, that perfect role is Wellness Manager. Twelve years with the company, she joined after gaining a BA Honours in Social Sciences and Psychology. At first Heather worked in the field, as a support worker before moving into a coordinator role, then a care officer.
Lynn saw her as the perfect individual to manage the Wellness Team. Heather adds: “I wouldn’t do anything else, I initially fell into the profession, but thanks to Lynn I have built my knowledge over 12 years and now love working in this sector.”
Suzanne joined the Wellness Team in November 2018, having spent 14 years as an Agile Care Practitioner, specialising in working with children who required additional support needs and respite care.
She said: “I decided on a change of direction. Joining HRM, Lynn quickly saw that I would fit in with the Wellness Team. I now enjoy a bit of both office work and meeting clients.
“I go out to meet people so I can assess what type of care package they need. But I also love getting to know people and can build a relationship with them. That can start on the phone, and be in person if required, so I can understand the challenges they face and find a way to solve them, so they get the care they want.
“I also provide a link with the support workers, and am able to pass on people’s likes and dislikes, any special requirements they have, certain routines they have, and any dos and don’ts. And it’s also vital that we pick up on any change, no matter how small, in the needs of service users, so that additional support is arranged and implemented.”
Charlene used to be a Custody Officer for immigration, a job she took on after a previous stint working in the care sector. She said: “I’d been in care before, but came out. But after some time away, I realised how much I missed working in the sector so I joined HRM Homecare.
“I was added to the Wellness Team, where I’ve worked for four years. Care is very much a sector where, if you work for the right company like HRM Homecare, you can progress into a role that uses your skills to the max.
“The result is it can be extremely rewarding. For instance, one Service User who I assessed and developed a care package for, at first, she was barely able to walk. Her aim was to get her mobility back, and now she has. It’s so lovely to see a care plan come together like that.”
Heather, Suzanne, Charlene, and Gillian are based in HRM Homecare’s Coatbridge office, while Louise is in Kilmarnock, recognising the wide areas that HRM covers – North and South
Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, Stirling, and Clackmannanshire.
Heather is keen to stress that they may be based in offices, but they don’t just sit behind desks. She said: “Every day is different, but it brings out the best certainly in me and I’d say every member of my team.
“What we do shows that care is a skilled profession. It’s all about empathy, problem solving and thinking outside the box. It’s challenging but at the same time very rewarding. You couldn’t ask for anything more in a career.
“We are there to build a trusting relationship not just with service users but with their families, with our fellow care officers, and with our external partners too.”
The Wellness Team came into its own in the COVID-19 pandemic. With families locked down, unable to see their vulnerable loved ones, they were pivotal in helping to pick up on any change, no matter how small, in the needs of service users, and communicate with families to let them know their needs were being met.
They managed to do so through an NHS app called Near Me. The team were able to communicate with families so they were up to date with their loved ones’ care. Families could read the notes of support workers so that they could keep up to date with what was going on in their care. To use it, all that was needed is a smartphone, tablet or computer with a webcam which the Wellness Team could help set up.
Suzanne adds: “It’s handy because Near Me is also used by the NHS for remote appointments, so people were used to using it. As a result, we’ve had lots of positive feedback.”
However, the pandemic did not stop HRM Homecare from providing vital in-person support, particularly among those suffering from loneliness.
Heather goes on: “We continued with courtesy calls, ad hoc visits, to make sure anyone vulnerable or isolated had access to what they needed, and where necessary feeding it back to their families.”
Now back in a world of face-to-face connections, the Wellness Team is still constantly evolving, as the care sector continues to evolve.
Lynn Laughland says: “The Wellness Team is one of my greatest achievements in my near 30 years in the care sector running HRM Homecare. It led the way, and continued to lead the way, in providing proper person-centred care.
“High quality care needs high quality services delivered by people not only with the best skills but a real passion and commitment for the job. I have that in droves in my Wellness Team, and appreciate the amazing work that they do every day.”